Crystal Nations ’18 served eight years in the United States Army out of high school, but it is her dedication to her family and two foster children while working toward her degree in clinical laboratory science-medical technology from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point that has earned her the 2016 College of Professional Studies Heroes Award.
The Heroes Award is a $1,000 scholarship created initially through an endowment in honor of Casey Gazdik, a health promotion/wellness major, who died in 2001 from the rare lung infection of blastomycosis. Now, the award is funded through Casey’s fund and other generous donations from people who wish to honor their own hero.